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I started the tank with 2 5ft UpAqua Z series lights. They worked great for around 4 years. Plants started filling in. Overall had amazing growth from my Cryptocoryne and Echinodorus I put in the tank.

OK! So it looks like I haven’t done an update on this tank forever ? Here is how the tank developed a bit after a year or two. As you can see we also got the wood frame done to give it a ‘framed picture’ look. The two photos are from the two different rooms.

Thank you so very much your reply was so informative. I was afraid of purchasing new plants as I did not want that aglae covering them as well. I normally had the light on from 6 am to 6 pm so I think that was the main reason. I will send away to ebay and purchase some of those plants. By the time I receive them I would have completed your suggestion. I am pleased I found this web site. Thank you for being there when I need help. Cheers Perry

G'day, Thank you for your reply. I could not see the Algae from those photos. I looked at other sites and found something that looks like the photos from my tank. Called Hair Algae. This green algae clings to other plants and rocks. When I try to remove it it brings the other plants with it. I hope this help you. Cheers Perry

Hey guys, I thought I’d just make a single topic for my community tank, so I stop running around in other chats asking the same questions ?. I’m going thru a big change in the tank at the moment, so will likely update in the morning with photos once the cloudiness is gone. Be prepared for a possibly very long message about a 10 hour process ?. Cheerio!

G'day, I am 78 years old and have had Tropical fish tanks in my home for over 40 years. I was reading about Cherry Shrimps. Later I saw an ad on Gumtree Selling Cherry Shrimp. I set up my tank and purchased 10. I now have about 110. The shrimps are all looking well. A friend had Java Mose and gave me some. The Moss also had Slimy Weed attached to it. Now my tank is full of it. I asked the guy at the Aquarium Shop what I could do. He sold me some ALGAEFIX. The instructions indicate that you cannot use the chemical in a Shrimp Tank. Please could somebody tell me how I can get rid of this Slimy Weed Cheers Perry

One of these ... essentially a bottle brush. It's name is what ever you use it for. In this case it will be called "Algae brush" ?

thanks, I will consider these two.

the easiest way to remove them, use a toothbrush use a tubing/hose brush

I may have misunderstood but don't you mean GH+ as these are tangerine tiger and you already have KH of about 2??? Tank setup looks great! Simon

So I got a new heater at my lfs, and picked up some api liquid testers, and am pleased to say it’s all looking good! Temp is now sitting at a nice 22°, will amp up the heater to get it to 24° later. Ammonia is unreadable, as is the Nitrate and Nitrite. pH is at 6.8-6.9, and GH and KH are both at 38.5 ppm. May need to add some GH/KH+ for once!

No problem. Glad to be of some help. Keep us updated with your progress.

Either Resun or Hailea are okay. They are about the same quality. The resun, as you said, is smaller and fits your tank size. The Hailea is indeed definitely easier to fix. I repaired my own from replacement parts. It's very easy to open up and swap out parts. I had to swap out a faulty circuit board for mine. So you should have enough info now to choose one. It's up to you what you prefer. Good luck choosing one.

Yep that is helpful. It certainly is Hair algae. It's not the worse algae to have in a tank. Meaning it's not the worst algae to have in a tank, unlike cyanobacteria. Hair algae is the most common one. It could mean that the photoperiod (the length of time the aquarium lights are on for) is too long. Try putting your lights on a timer and have the light on for 6 hours only, say 2-8pm. Manually removing the hair algae is probably the safest option for now. Along with the reduced photoperiod, it should get down to a manageable level. Manually remove any hardscape, like rocks, driftwood, ornaments that are covered in algae. If it fits into a pot, boil the algae off them. If it doesn't fit, leave it out in the sun to dry out before adding it back into the tank. How often do you do water changes? Consistent weekly 10% water changes will also help get rid of built up phosphates and nitrates, which causes this type of algae to appear. Adding more plants will also help control hair algae. If you can find the following plants, try adding them to your tank: 1) Amazon Frogbit 2) Salvinia 3) Water Spangles 4) Water Lettuce 5) Java moss 6) Amazon Sword 1 - 4 are fast growing floating plants that will cut light to the hair algae and out grow them, taking up their much needed nutrients. 5 & 6 are fast growing plants that will also out compete the algae for nutrients and provide your shrimp somewhere to graze and hide. The combination of manual removal, reduced light, water changes and adding more plants will cause the hair algae to slowly disappear after a few weeks. Don't be discouraged, hair algae is the most common algae aquarists will encounter. The algae spores are all over the place.

Could it be cynobacteria? Have a look at google images for Cynobacteria aquariums.

More like the fan in photo 2. Why does that matter? I cannot take a picture of the fan. My unit is plugged in and running. It's way too much trouble to take it apart. I wouldn't say any chillers with fans in them to be quiet. It's not too bad I suppose. At least I don't get annoyed by it. Noise is very subjective. What is noisy for you might not be noisy for others. The Resun mini 200 looks interesting. It depends on the price. If it costs about the same as the Hailea 130a, you might as well get the 130a, as it will cool your tank more efficiently and run for less time = less power used, and less noise. With that statement about the probe, I don't understand. The chiller comes with a probe. That's how it controls the cooling, and knows when to turn on or off. How would a separate external probe control the chiller?

I have one. Same unit. It just .... works. It's not the top brand name, but functionality is the same as your better brand names like Teco. I have Teco units too, which cost a bit more than the Hailea, yet still does the same job. I have also tried those cheap Aliexpress chillers. So I have a bit of experience in this area. The Hailea (or Teco) chillers do a much, MUCH better job at keeping your tanks consistently cool. Get one and you will never look at the cheap chillers again. These units are a good investment, especially for anyone living in a hot country. When fitted to your canister to the chiller, the flow is no more than the flow you have now with just a canister. If anything the flow will be reduced slightly as it now has to go through a chiller. Always get a unit that is rated slightly bigger than your tank, so that the chiller is not straining to keep the tank cool and is constantly running. If you have a sump that services several tanks, one chiller can be used to cool several tanks.

I've not heard of slimy weed before. Or it might be more commonly known as another name. In order for us to give you the right information, we need to ID this algae or weed properly first. Are you able to match this slimy weed to any of the algae on this web page http://www.tropicalfishsite.com/types-of-algae-growth-found-in-the-home-aquarium/ ? You are right to not use Algaefix in your tank of shrimps. Maybe a picture of it might help too.

Sounds like solid advice. I think I’ll move the Cory’s. They are dwarf types, but they will likely enjoy the company from the other tank and the Cory’s already in that other tanks.

Thanks Trish! If by floaters you mean floating plants, I have some duckweed in there that’s growing back, but may consider some other larger types once I restock my rocket killies, they love that sort of stuff.

That's real nice @Crabclaw Well laid out... black sand sure does make it, and the rock and driftwood are wonderful. Do you think you might try some floaters?

Photos time.